A working fighter and a convinced communist did not know that his descendants would assign him the rank of commander of the Revolution.
The story of one artilleryman who commanded millions of armies already knows. True, he also received the imperial crown. Our hero was much more modest - he did not break into kings, being an ideological opponent of the monarchy. But the fate of his shot is still being discussed.
Childhood
There was a baker Pavel Ognev in the Voronezh province. His first wife did not live long, a daughter remained from her memory. It was difficult for one to raise the baby to her feet, because the widower re-married the working Cossack Fedosier. In 1887, she gave her husband a son, who was named Evdokim.
Russian artillerymen of the 17th century
Parents indulged children with stories they heard from their grandparents. The head of the family often retold the story of his ancestor. This fellow was from Don. In ancient times, he served as a gunner, distinguished himself in battle, received a number of awards and the nickname Ognev, which later became a surname. Paul himself succeeded in it - he loved discipline, but did not tolerate tyranny. With such a disposition, it was difficult for him to find a job. Spouses with children were forced to travel across the expanses of Russia. Despite all the hardships, the father managed to give his son a decent education, as for a commoner,.
Military service
They called Evdokim in 1909 from the village of Grand Duke on the Don. A competent strong guy was ideally suited for service in any of the military branches. If his comrades asked for cavalry, then this Cossack immediately declared that he wanted to serve in the Navy. He cherished the dream of sea voyages and battles with pirates from early childhood. The command gladly sent the fellow to the Baltic.
Service in those days was not easy, however, enthusiasm and good health helped Evdokim to cope with all the difficulties. The very first sea voyages allowed our hero to show himself in action - he not only excellently coped with all the tasks, but also showed heroism, saving people in a fire. Ogneva was noticed by the captain and sent to the school of commandants.
Sailor Evdokim Ognev
Sailor from the Aurora
At the end of the course, the young gunner was assigned to the Aurora cruiser. The service on this ship was honorable, only the best were allowed into the guns, a brilliant career could be made here. In 1911, the ship with a diplomatic mission visited Italy and Spain. In Malaga, just on the day the Russian guest arrived, a fire broke out. Ognev had experience fighting fire and, together with his comrades, hastened to the rescue of the Spaniards. Those were delighted with the courage and nobleness of our sailors.
Cruiser Aurora"
After a long campaign in 1913, Aurora returned to St. Petersburg. The ship was sent to the dock, and the team was released ashore. Evdokim, like his friends, wandered around the taverns and looked in on a visit to veteran sailors. One day, returning to a barracks in the dead of night, he saw how villains beat a girl. The guy scattered the hooligans and offered their victim his protection. Neela, so called rescued, agreed reluctantly.
Agitation and propaganda
Ognev was looking for a meeting with Nila. I managed to see her again at a later hour. The angry hero asked the young lady why she was looking for trouble. The answer surprised him - at night this young lady was putting up anti-government leaflets. The sailor was familiar with the ideas of Marxism - there were ideological communists in the crew of the Aurora, but for the first time he saw an agitator in a skirt. Soon the young married.
Those close to us about the changes in the personal life of Evdokim learned from his letter; he and his wife could not visit them. The First World War began, and the cruiser Aurora defended the capital from the sea. Information from the fronts was confusing, the conditions of service became unbearable. The commandant increasingly had conversations with clerk Alexander Trapeznikov and carpenter Timofei Lipatov — Marxists, members of the ship’s committee. He was inspired by the ideas of the Bolsheviks. He made his contribution to the common cause, delivering to the ship leaflets and books that his wife sent him.
Poster of 1917. Artist L. Petukhov
Revolution
In 1917, the Aurora docked in Kronstadt. Upon learning of the February Revolution, Ognev hurried to Petrograd, where he took an active part in the struggle against the monarchists. The Baltics were a real force, because each party tried to draw them to its side. Evdokim, being literate, was able to get acquainted with what they wrote about politics in newspapers, and supported the ideas of Vladimir Lenin. In the summer, he participated in protests against the Provisional Government.
They stormed the Winter (1957). Artist Fedor Bogorodsky
At the beginning of November, the cruiser was on the roadstead, sending guns toward the Winter Palace. Ognev stood watch. When the radio operator "Aurora" received the appeal of Vladimir Lenin "To the citizens of Russia!", The captain gave the order to prepare for battle. A single salvo was to signal the assault on the residence of the Provisional Government. It was an honor to make this shot to Evdokim Ognev.
